Hanover edges York County Tech, 34-33, on mats

Logan Hamm and Josh Martin gave scrappy efforts to help Hanover past the the Spartans.

By MIKE RUBIN The Evening Sun

Posted:
01/17/2013 11:24:51 PM EST

Just as Hanover High was about to take to the mats Thursday night, 195-pounder Logan Hamm was in the Nighthawk locker room getting sick and was unsure if he was going to be able to wrestle as Hanover took on York County Tech.

"I had eaten some bad chicken after weigh-in today," Hamm said. "I was fine all day until right before the match and ran to the locker room and just kept throwing up. I knew I had to shake it somehow."

Hanover coach Dave Cataldo was unsure if Hamm was even going to be able to go for Hanover minutes before the match was set to begin.

"I thought we were going to have to forfeit," Cataldo said. "I didn't think he would be able to go. He looked as white as a ghost."

Hamm mustered just enough energy to make it to his match, the second match of the night. The Nighthawks are thankful he did because his win helped Hanover defeat York County Tech in a 34-33 nail-biter.

He started the match off by scoring two points for a takedown and then his opponent, Jacob Phillips, scored a point as Hamm took a 2-1 lead into the second period. Hamm added an escape to increase his lead to two heading into the third period. Twice in the third period, it looked as though Hamm was going to pin Phillips, but he was unable to roll him all the way.

With Hamm leading 3-2, Phillips escaped with just 22 seconds remaining to tie the match.

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With both wrestlers visibly exhausted and laboring much of the overtime period, Hamm was able to get a takedown with just 11 seconds remaining to give the Nighthawks a crucial 5-3 win.

"I couldn't have done it without my teammates cheering me on and helping me get through the match," Hamm said. "In overtime, he took a shot at me, it was a good shot, sprawled back and I put my hand on his head, circled around and grabbed the butt, and went for it and got it."

"That was the difference," Cataldo added. "That was the difference between winning and losing. (Hamm) has really been coming on and doing the things we need him to do. That win was big from him."

The win gave the Nighthawks a 9-0 lead.

York County Tech fought back and worked its way into a 30-30 tie with only two matches remaining.

In the 160-pound match, Brad Irvin scored early and often as he worked his way to earning a 13-4 win over Dylan Hartlaub to give the Nighthawks a slim 34-30 lead.

The last match of the night pitted York County Tech's DeAundre Jones against Hanover's Josh Martin.

The Spartans needed Jones to earn a pin to win, whereas Martin, who has dislocated his shoulder six times this season, most recently Wednesday, was merely trying to not get pinned and help his team earn the win.

Martin started the scoring in the first period by scoring two points on a takedwosn, but Jones came right back and earned two points for a reversal. The score stayed tied throughout the second with Martin visibly in pain. After the first period, Hanover trainers took a look at Martin, whose shoulder slipped out of place but did not fully dislocate.

Jones came out in the third period and was able to pick up three additional points, but Martin was able to avoid the pin and, despite losing 6-3, helped his team win the match.

"Josh came through when we needed him," Cataldo said. "We were actually going to forfeit if we had a bigger lead. He put forth a great effort just not to get pinned. That was the goal. We needed to keep him off his back."

"It feels good to have helped the team," Martin said. "I didn't want to be selfish. I take it as, if I would have forfeited, I would have been hurting my team and that would have been selfish. It hurt out there, but we got the win, so that is all that matters."